This ministry provides comfort and joy to pediatric outpatients and their families during the Advent season. Volunteers deliver wrapped gifts, collected through the St. Francis Giving Trees, to children receiving care at the Duke Children’s Hospital. 

In addition to assisting with gift delivery, volunteers help manage the patient flow during visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus (longtime parishioners Joe and Geanie), offer light refreshments (as permitted by current health guidelines), and most importantly, engage warmly with children and families. Our “elves” accompany each child to select a gift, thoughtfully organized by age and gender, helping to create a moment of joy during what can be a challenging time. 

This ministry offers a meaningful way to extend the love and support of our parish community to families facing medical challenges during the holiday season. We are currently seeking a new ministry leader to work with us who is excited to expand this outreach to include seasonal children’s crafts and celebrations for other holidays throughout the year, such as Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, as opportunities allow.